Why Should Obama Waste Money on Ads?

He's Got the Press Hounds on His Trail

According to Howard Kurtz, "The Washington Post has learned that Brian Williams, Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric will travel overseas next week, lured by the prospect of interviews with the presumed Democratic candidate. That means the NBC, ABC and CBS newscasts will originate from stops on the trip and undoubtedly play it up. ... Sources in both television and politics confirmed that the Williams, Gibson and Couric interviews will be parceled out on successive nights in different countries. That means the Obama camp will have drawn the anchors halfway around the world by offering access." Obviously, that's good news for Barack Obama, who can hold on to his cash a little longer. Why buy ads when you can get glowing news coverage for free (and mock TV news all you want, but it's still more trusted than 30-second spots).

But perhaps someone on the business side of the networks will realize that if they weren't spending all those dollars sending big-money anchors to chase Barack Obama halfway around the globe, the candidate with the most money might actually consider buying some national broadcast advertising.